The new and distinct dwarf ornamental grapevine described and claimed herein originated from a cross between ‘Pixie’™ and unknown Vitis vinifera male parent, the male parent having introgressed therein a REN1 gene for powdery mildew resistance originating from ‘Kishmish vatkana’.
The female parent ‘Pixie’™ is a natural dwarf ornamental grapevine (Vitis vinifera) derived from periclinal L1/L2 chimera ‘Pinot Meunier’ with dark purple berry skin. ‘Pixie’™ is the only known naturally dwarf grapevine in the public domain.
The pollen parent is an unknown Vitis vinifera line having a REN1 gene for powdery mildew resistance introgressed therein. The REN1 gene originates from ‘Kishmish vatkana’, an old Vitis vinifera variety from Uzbekistan with light purple berry skin. ‘Kishmish vatkana’ carries the REN1 gene for powdery mildew resistance.
The present variety of dwarf grapevine was first produced by controlled hybridization. The original cross was done at Vineland Research and Innovations Centre, Vineland Station, Ontario, Canada on Nov. 22, 2010.
‘VDG003’ was first successfully asexually propagated by single node softwood cuttings at the Vineland Research and Innovations Centre, Vineland Station, Ontario, Canada on May 31, 2013. It is being maintained on its own roots in a container in a Canadian Food Inspection Agency certified greenhouse facility at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Vineland Station, Ontario, Canada.